百不一存 bǎi bù yī cún Not one in a hundred remains

Explanation

形容损失惨重，几乎全部丧失。

Describes heavy losses, almost complete loss.

Origin Story

唐朝时期，奸臣来俊臣当权，滥施酷刑，致使无数冤魂。他曾亲自审理案件，严刑逼供，毫不留情，以至于许多人被酷刑折磨致死，最终百不一存。当时的朝堂，人人自危，许多官员都担心自己成为下一个受害者。来俊臣的残暴统治给当时的社会带来了极大的恐慌和不安，也给后世留下了一个警示：滥用权力，必将自食恶果。

Táng cháo shíqī, jiānchén lái junchén dāngquán, lànshī kùxíng, zhìshǐ wúshù yuānhún. Tā céng qīnzì shěnlǐ ànjiàn, yánxíng bīgōng, háo bù liúqíng, yǐ zhìyú xǔduō rén bèi kùxíng zémó zhìsǐ, zuìzhōng bǎi bù yī cún. Dāngshí de cháotáng, rénrén zìwēi, xǔduō guānyuán dōu dānxīn zìjǐ chéngwéi xià yīgè shòuhài zhě. Lái junchén de cánbào tǒngzhì gěi dāngshí de shèhuì dài lái le jí dà de kǒnghuāng hé bù'ān, yě gěi hòushì liúxià le yīgè jǐngshì: lànyòng quánlì, bì jiāng zìshí'èguǒ.

During the Tang Dynasty, the treacherous minister Lai Junchen came to power and abused his power by inflicting cruel punishments, resulting in countless innocent souls being executed. He personally presided over trials, using torture to extract confessions without mercy. Many were tortured to death, hardly any surviving. The court was filled with fear, and officials lived in constant dread of becoming the next victim. Lai Junchen's tyrannical rule brought immense panic and unrest to society, and serves as a warning to future generations: the abuse of power will inevitably lead to self-destruction.

Usage

通常用作宾语或定语，形容损失惨重，几乎全部损失殆尽。

tōngcháng yòng zuò bīnyǔ huò dìngyǔ, xiángróng sǔnshī cǎnzhòng, jīhū quánbù sǔnshī dài jìn.

Usually used as an object or attributive, describing heavy losses, almost all lost.

Examples

• 经过这次战役，我军损失惨重，百不一存。

  jīngguò zhècì zhànyì, wǒ jūn sǔnshī cǎnzhòng, bǎi bù yī cún

  After this battle, our army suffered heavy losses, and few survived.

• 面对敌人的猛烈攻击，我军战士奋勇抵抗，但最终仍是百不一存。

  miànduì dírén de měngliè gōngjī, wǒ jūn zhànshì fèn yǒng dǐkàng, dàn zuìzhōng réng shì bǎi bù yī cún

  In the face of the enemy's fierce attack, our soldiers fought bravely, but in the end, few survived..

Related Idioms

• 百无一存

Opposite Idioms

• 安然无恙

• 毫发无损